Dentists are Reopening their Offices with Safety Measures

Austin, TX – Quarantine restrictions are decreasing all over the country. With more hospital beds becoming less overwhelmed in highly populated areas, and more people in need of vital services, it was only a matter of time until things will open up again. Dental practices being one of them. However, just because these practices are opening up, does not mean that there is any exclusion of safety measures. Quite the contrary, many dental practices are taking precautions and reasonable efforts towards reopening their business. But what do those efforts look like? And what steps are becoming more standardized with other businesses down the line? Let’s find out.

Checking your Temp at the Door and Limiting Crowds

One of the more common precautionary measures according to our very own Dr. Brian Tucker of Austin Family Dentists, is limiting the amount of people in the waiting room at a time. “Before the appointment we’ll be screening on the phone. We’re going to limit the amount of patients in the waiting room, and once they come to the office we’re gonna do some interview screening there – taking temperatures on all patients. We’re going to be eliminating all items such as toys, magazines and books from the waiting room.”

This is the type of protocol that most doctors offices, and other medical centers are already putting in place, given the situation. Checking for fever at the door and limiting the number of patients, as well as what they can touch will decrease the chances of them passing anything contagious to either the medical staff and other patients.

The patients aren’t the only ones that undergo screening. State protocol requires daily screening from dental staff. That includes temperature checks for the entire staff, twice a day.

Increased Personal Protective Equipment and Safety Measures

Saliva is very messy business. While it does not spread as much disease as much as blood or urine, Covid-19, Herpes, and HIV can still be spread and detected through saliva. When you think about that, and add in the realization that dentists and their assistants are constantly working around saliva, you start to get a clearer picture of why they need to feel protected. So, it makes sense that Austin Family Dentists, and other Texas dental companies are making sure that everyone is well equipped with supplies.

But what kind of PPE are the dental staffs required to keep in supply?

The State Board of Dental Examiners states this as a requirement,”Staff needs to wear personal protective equipment, including N-95 respirator masks or KN-95 masks, if they will be within 6 feet of a procedure that is likely to have elements that aerosolize (such as particles flying). The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends gowns, gloves and face shields as well.”

Increased Awareness for Dentists and their Patients

The board also requires other safety protocols to keep patients and practitioners mindful of decreasing the spread of the virus. They do not fit squarely into the above two categories, but they are still vital. These are measures that exist for both keeping the public consciousness aware of the safety protocol in the first place and keeping dentists aware of minimizing the risk overall.

These measures include:

Putting up signs that remind patients to keep their physical distance.

Getting patients to agree to notify their dentists when they have caught Covid-19 after

Disallowing dental practitioners to work on multiple patients at a time.

Setting up a place for workers to change out of work clothes into casual clothing after their shift. This is to prevent the possibility of spreading the virus at home.

Cautious Optimism Moving Forward

Times are uncertain, and we may not always know what to expect moving forward. But if we keep standing still and do nothing is almost as dangerous for us as pretending that Covid-19 does not exist. Instead, we are going to move forward with a healthy respect for what we are dealing with. We will do what we can to minimize the risk, even if it seems a little overblown at first. Things will slowly go back to normal, given the right time and protocol. We just need to be aware that we are all in this together and that our collective actions have as much consequence as our individual contributions.

If you need to set up an appointment with Dr Tucker fill out the sheet here.

Post navigation

Beth

Beth S. has been in the dental field for over 15 years. She helps in the front office (insurance claims, answering calls), as well as assists clinically with Drs. Fossum and Tucker. Beth helps make your your appointment is smooth and efficient as possible. Beth enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with her family.

John

John has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 2004 and has been with Austin Family Dentist since late 2016. He enjoys his role in the office helping provide caring and quality dentistry to our patient community. John is here to help w/ any and all questions and to help your dental appointment run smoothly. John enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 children. During some of his free time, he provides meals and dental essentials to the homeless. John is a big Dallas Cowboys fan.

Jill

Jill has been a Registered Dental Assistant since 2006. She worked with Dr. Tucker for 2 years, at another office, before following him to Austin Family Dentist in the fall of 2009. Jill loves to interact with patients and getting to know them on a more personal level. She does her best to make the overall dental experience a positive one. In her free time she loves spending time w/ her family and enjoying all of Austin’s beautiful sights.

Jennifer

Jennifer works the front office at Austin Family Dentist. She has been in the dental field for over 15 years, so ask any questions and she will probably have the answer, or know where to get it. Jennifer has been with Austin Family Dentist since 2008. She enjoys spending her free time her daughter, Amaris. They love to travel together, take lots of pictures, and make memories together.

Ying

Ying is one of our two full time Dental Hygienists. She has been with Austin Family Dentist since November 2015. She is fluent in two languages (Chinese and English) and still knows some Japanese. Ying has a degree in international business, and earned her Registered Dental Hygiene degree from Austin Community College. Ying enjoys traveling, photography, sports, gardening, sewing, and making new friends in Austin. Ying has a gentle touch and is very detail oriented. She strives to make each and every patient have a welcoming, educating, and pleasant experience at Austin Family Dentist.

Shireen

Shireen is one of our two full time hygienists. She grew up on San Antonio where she received her bachelor’s degree in Biology and attended the Health Science Center for Dental Hygiene. In her spare time Shireen enjoys attending concerts (she is a huge music lover). She always enjoys outdoor activities and being with friends.

Melissa

Melissa has been a registered dental assistant since 2010. She is one of the ladies who will be greeting you when you walk in the door. She enjoys working at Austin Family Dentist because she loves working in a fun, friendly, family-oriented atmosphere. Although she is an RDA, she mainly specializes in handling the insurance, scheduling, and treatment coordinating. Melissa enjoys helping patients change their perception of dentistry and restoring smiles inspires her everyday. If you ever have any questions Melissa is here to help answer any and all of your questions.

In her free time, Melissa enjoys being outdoors, trying new foods, cooking, crafting, listening to live music, and most importantly, spending time with her family.

Brent E Fossum

DDS

Dr. Brent Fossum was born and raised in Rapid City, South Dakota, and has lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and several cities in Texas. His extended family includes seven dentists including three brothers in his immediate family, all of whom graduated from the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston, and three great uncles, also brothers, who graduated from the Chicago College of Dental Surgery, the first being Dr. Albert Fossum, who received his DDS Degree in 1898…

Brian D Tucker
(Owner)

DMD, FAGD (Owner)

Dr. Tucker was born and raised in New Jersey. He received his Baccalaureate of Science in Biology at The College of New Jersey. Dr. Tucker went on to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey where he received his Dental degree as a Doctor of Medical Dentistry. During his senior year…